No. 156 APRIL 2016 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNION OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS NO TO RACISM GAME CHANGER How football is giving amputees in Kabul a new lease of life No.156 • April 2016 No.156 YOUTH THE EXECUTIVE LEAGUE TECHNICIAN COMMITTEE The finals return A revolution in sports Theodore Theodoridis to Nyon science at Leicester FC handed the reins BIRTHDAYS, NOTICES, FORTHCOMING EVENTS BIRTHDAYS Charles Schaack (Luxembourg, 17 April) Philippe Verbiest (Belgium, 25 April) Frances Smith (Republic of Ireland, 17 April) Dany Ryser (Switzerland, 25 April) Oguz Sarvan (Turkey, 18 April) Domenti Sichinava (Georgia, 25 April) 50th Carlo De Gaudio (Italy, 1 April) Alexandre Remin (Belarus, 18 April) Salustia Chato Cipres (Andorra, 25 April) Jan Peeters (Belgium, 2 April) Norman Darmanin Demajo (Malta, 19 April) Valentin Velikov (Bulgaria, 25 April) Elisabeth Derks (Netherlands, 2 April) Virgar Hvidbro (Faroe Islands, 19 April) Yariv Teper (Israel, 26 April) Michael Sjöö (Sweden, 2 April) Elena Charina (Russia, 19 April) Jan Pauly (Czech Republic, 26 April) Márton Dinnyés (Hungary, 2 April) Jean-Luc Veuthey (Switzerland, 20 April) Marina Sbardella (Italy, 27 April) Kaj Østergaard (Denmark, 3 April) Michael Argyrou (Cyprus, 20 April) Jan Carlsen (Denmark, 27 April) Martin Sturkenboom (Netherlands, 3 April) İlhan Helvacı (Turkey, 20 April) Edgar Steinborn (Germany, 27 April) Dennis Cruise (Republic of Ireland, 3 April) Nenad Santrač (Serbia, 20 April) Frank Fontvielle (France, 27 April) Yoav Strauss (Israel, 3 April) Marc Lesenfants (Belgium, 21 April) George Frank (Israel, 29 April) Emil Ubias (Czech Republic, 3 April) Vitor Pereira (Portugal, 21 April) Gudmunder Ingi Jónsson (Iceland, 29 April) Christian Kofoed (Denmark, 4 April) Martinus van den Bekerom (Netherlands, Eamon Naughton (Republic of Ireland, 21 April) 4 April) Alexandru Burlac (Moldova, 21 April) NOTICES Alex Miescher (Switzerland, 4 April) Tomislav Vlahović (Croatia, 21 April) Marco Casagrande (Finland, 4 April) Jan Damgaard (Denmark, 22 April) • On 28 February, Terje Svendsen was Jan Ekstrand (Sweden, 5 April) Morgan Norman (Sweden, 22 April) elected president of the Football Momir Djurdjevac (Montenegro, 5 April) Rod Petrie (Scotland, 22 April) 60th Association of Norway, replacing Alexey Sorokin (Russia, 5 April) Volodymyr Petrov (Ukraine, 22 April) Yngve Hallen at the helm. Aleksandra Pejkovska (FYR Macedonia, Claudine Brohet (Belgium, 22 April) 5 April) Roland Tis (Belgium, 23 April) • Following the resignations of the Vencel Tóth (Hungary, 6 April) Mehmet Binnet (Turkey, 23 April) president and general secretary of Snježana Fočić (Croatia, 6 April) 50th Prune Rocipon (France, 23 April) the German Football Association, László Szalai (Hungary, 6 April) Nebojša Ivković (Serbia, 24 April) an electoral congress will be held on Pavol Peracek (Slovakia, 7 April) Avraham Luzon (Israel, 24 April) 15 April, with vice-presidents Rainer Jacques Devismes (France, 8 April) 80th Sandor Piller (Hungary, 24 April) Koch and Reinhard Rauball leading Jim Fleeting (Scotland, 8 April) İlker Yücesir (Turkey, 24 April) 50th the association in the interim. Peter Hegyi (Hungary, 8 April) Roy Millar (Northern Ireland, Yevgeniy Stolitenko (Ukraine, 8 April) 40th 25 April) Márton Esterházy (Hungary, 9 April) 60th Ladislav Svoboda (Czech Republic, 9 April) FORTHCOMING EVENTS Zoran Petrović (Serbia, 10 April) Gordon Pate (Scotland, 10 April) Panagiotis Tsarouchas (Greece, 10 April) Meetings Vlastibor Minarovjech Jr (Slovakia, 10 April) 4 April, Nyon 19 April, Nyon 26 April, Nyon Eduard Kindle (Liechtenstein, 10 April) Medical Committee Youth and Amateur Fair Play and Social Umberto Gandini (Italy, 11 April) Football Committee Responsibility Committee Kristiaan Van Der Haegen (Belgium, 11–15 April, Ljubljana 11 April) UEFA Grassroots Workshop 20 April, Nyon 29 April, Nyon Pierre Dumarché (France, 11 April) Finance Committee National Team Rodger Gifford (Wales, 12 April) 15 April, Nyon Competitions Committee Valeriu Ionita (Romania, 12 April) UEFA Champions League 21 April, Nyon François De Keersmaecker (Belgium, and UEFA Europa League: Stadium and Security 12 April) semi-final draws Committee António José F. Cardoso (Portugal, 12 April) Adrian Ixari (Moldova, 12 April) Paolo Piani (Italy, 13 April) Competitions Giovanni Spitaleri (Italy, 13 April) 5/6 and 12/13 April 12 April 23/24 and 30 April–1 May Edvinas Eimontas (Lithuania, 13 April) 40th UEFA Champions League: Futsal World Cup: European UEFA Women’s Champions Octavian Goga (Romania, 14 April) quarter-finals play-offs (return legs) League: semi-finals Georgios Bikas (Greece, 15 April) Erol Ersoy (Turkey, 15 April) 5–10 April 15–18 April, Nyon 26/27 April www.uefafoundation.org Antonius van Eekelen (Netherlands, European Women’s Under-19 UEFA Youth League: UEFA Champions League: 15 April) Championship: elite round final four semi-finals (first legs) Dušan Fitzel (Czech Republic, 15 April) Anders Hubinette (Sweden, 15 April) 7 and 14 April 21–24 April, 28 April Manuel Enrique Mejuto González (Spain, UEFA Europa League: Guadalajara (Spain) UEFA Europa League: 16 April) quarter-finals UEFA Futsal Cup: finals semi-finals (first legs) UEFA DIRECT • April 2016 – 55 EDITORIAL ‘THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME’ had the privilege of growing up in the hard work exhibited by all those who have world of football and I fell in love with it come before me. As you know, my immediate I an early age. It has truly been a privilege predecessor, Gianni Infantino, has moved working for this game and those who know to Zurich and it is my view that his election me are aware of how proud I am of everything as FIFA President presents us all with the we do together to promote, protect and opportunity of a lifetime: the opportunity develop it in Europe. to progress further and strengthen the It was therefore a tremendous honour when relationship between UEFA and the rest the UEFA Executive Committee appointed me of the world. General Secretary ad interim on 4 March. We must take this opportunity and show What can you expect from me? Quite true solidarity that brings us closer to the simply, the same kind of dedication and other confederations and to FIFA itself. Let us all unite around football and our collective desire to improve this game we love, from the boardroom to the dressing room. This improvement should be achieved in a spirit of inclusion, and I was therefore delighted when the UEFA Congress decided to elect a woman to the Executive Committee for the first time. This female member’s new status will give her more credibility in all the decisions taken at the highest level. I sincerely hope that this is just one of many steps we succeed in taking to increase the number of women in senior positions. Increased female participation in football management can only make us stronger. Theodore Theodoridis UEFA General Secretary ad interim UEFA DIRECT • April 2016 – 03 CONTENTS 12 Getty Images Olivier Moeckli 30 IN THIS ISSUE 6 UEFA news 30 Special feature Football is much more than a game in Afghanistan, where it is helping rebuild the 10 KISS programme Official publication of A workshop in Istanbul highlights the role lives of landmine victims. the Union of European of marketing in football development. Football Associations 36 Women’s football Chief editor: 12 UEFA Youth League The city of Reggio Emilia in Italy is gearing Emmanuel Deconche From 15 to 18 April, the Youth League up to host the UEFA Women’s Champions Deputy chief editor: semi-finals and final will take place League final. Dominique Maurer in Nyon. Contributors: 38 For the record Diego Antenozio, Mark Chaplin, Michael Harrold, 16 UEFA Futsal Cup The number of female coaches is on the Martyn Hindley, Élodie This year’s Futsal Cup final four rise … but there is still a long way to go. Masson, Paul Murphy, Terji tournament will take place in Guadalajara Nielsen, Emma Sykes, Nuno Tavares, Graham Turner, Paul in Spain from 22 to 24 April. 40 Faroe Islands Zaharia and UEFA Language How the renovation of a stadium Services 18 Ricardinho has benefited football throughout the Production: The futsal magician talks to UEFA Direct. Faroe Islands. Touchline Printing: 20 The Technician 42 Romania Artgraphic Cavin The Technician goes behind the scenes Inspired by UEFA’s CORE programme, CH-1422 Grandson with Paul Balsom, a sports scientist and the Romanian Football Federation has Editorial deadline: performance analyst who works with launched its own training scheme for 15 March 2016 the Swedish national team and Leicester up-and-coming referees. Cover photo: City, the surprise package in this season’s Eight-year-old Habibullah is English Premier League. 44 News from one of the many amputees in Kabul whose lives the ICRC, member associations with the support of UEFA, is 26 Paul Pogba helping to rebuild through The Juventus midfielder shares his football. Olivier Moeckli love of football with landmine victims in Afghanistan in his role as an ambassador for UEFA’s partnership with the ICRC. 04 – UEFA DIRECT • April 2016 CONTENTS LaPresse/Daniele Badolato 26 Sportsfile Twelfthman/Shutterstock 18 20 UEFA DIRECT • April 2016 – 05 EXTRAORDINARY UEFA CONGRESS UEFA CONGRESS TO ELECT FEMALE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER UEFA held its 11th Extraordinary Congress in Zurich on 25 February. he main items on the agenda were is the current female member of the Executive amendments to the UEFA Statutes to Committee. The associations also approved Tprovide for the election by UEFA Congress UEFA's consolidated statement of accounts and of the UEFA Executive Committee’s female association accounts for 2014/15, as well as the member; the approval of UEFA’s 2014/15 European governing body's budget for 2016/17. accounts and 2016/17 budget, and the following In addition, they accepted the 2014/15 report day’s FIFA presidential election. of the UEFA President and Executive Committee, UEFA’s 54 member associations decided that as well as the UEFA administration report for the female member of the Executive Committee the same period.